I thought I would post the results from the SLO Ambushers tournament since it was a two day, two lake event and my friend Gary won both days and big fish. The story below is from the Telegram Tribune.

Atascadero’s Gary Finch earned three first place honors last weekend in the season-ending San Luis Obispo County Bass Ambushers event.

Gary, 58, has scaled back both his recreational and tournament fishing activity, and rarely pre-fishes for a tournament. He made an exception last Friday stopping off at Jim’s Pro Bass Tackle en route to Lake San Antonio. Owner Jim Slusher shared advice on his experience on the lake the previous week.

“I found some spots that looked pretty good and caught two smallmouth in the 2 ½- to 3-pound range,” Finch reported. “I’m always happy to catch a keeper and I had two smallies on Saturday, one on a Zara Spook and the other on a spoon.”

Finch and runner-up Steve Bereda were the only participants in the field of 23 anglers who caught two fish. Gary’s duo weighed 3.40 pounds and Bereda’s 2.81 pounds.

“We’re in the fall to winter transition period so the poor bite didn’t surprise me,” Finch said. Only 10 fish were caught.

“It has been months since I’ve been on Lake Nacimiento. On Sunday I started fishing the far end of Bee Rock Cove which is where I usually start. I pitched plastic worms on a 1/16th -ounce darthead to rock faces. I also worked the middle of the lake with spoons. I never fished in water deeper than 20 feet.”

When he was done culling a catch of 12 to 15 fish his five-fish limit weighed 8.80 pounds. It included Sunday’s big fish, 2.51 pounds.

Half of the 24-angler entry had limits on Sunday with Atascadero High School student Graham Grove placing second with an 8.02-pound limit.

Tournament placings were scored on a combined weight for the two days and Finch topped that list also with seven fish weighing 12.20 pounds.